The Indian Premier League (IPL) is rated as the crème de la crème Twenty 20 cricket tournament in the world, and no wonder it attracts the best talent from across the globe. With the austere competition and the shorter format, batsmen get a little time to make their impact visible as they’re expected to go for the full monty from the word go.
That’s the reason there have been very few batsmen who have mastered the art of slamming the bowlers in a quick time. With the IPL 2020 just around the corner, let’s have a look at five batsmen who are at the top of the charts as far as strike-rate is concerned.
1.) Andre Russell
The West Indies power-hitter, Andre Russell, is the most lionized cricketer amongst IPL followers. His clean hitting mixed with attacking approach never ceases to impress.
In 64 matches, the right-handed batsman has smashed 1400 runs with 96 fours. He has also struck 120 sixes – seventh most by a foreign player.
When it comes to highest strike-rates, then Russell tops the table with 186.41 career SR in IPL. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batsman has also slammed eight half-centuries for his side in the exciting league.
2.) Sunil Narine
Another West Indian on this elite list is Sunil Narine. He is the highest wicket-taker for the KKR team and eighth overall in the list of ‘most wicket-takers.’ In 110 games, the all-rounder has grabbed 122 wickets. Amongst overseas players, he’s the third leading wicket-taker in the history of the cash-rich league.
The southpaw has also enjoyed his love-affair with batting in the past couple of seasons, and due to that, he sits right at the second spot amongst batters with highest strike-rates. Narine hasn’t scored many runs, but he did impress with his quick-fire batting style.
The left-handed batsman has smashed 93 fours and 44 sixes. He has clubbed 771 runs with an outstanding strike-rate of 168.34. Narine has three fifties to his name as well in the IPL.
3.) Rishabh Pant
India’s young sensation Rishabh Pant has been on a roller coaster ever since he debuted in the lucrative league. The left-handed batsman has amassed 1736 runs in 54 matches, with 128 being his highest score.
The Delhi-born has smashed 152 fours – 27th most by an Indian player, and 94 gigantic sixes. In the list of best batting strike-rate, Pant sits at third place with a career SR of 162.69. Amongst Indians, Pant is at the top. He has slammed 11 half-centuries and one hundred.
4.) Glenn Maxwell
The Australian power-striker Glenn Maxwell is a well-known figure in the IPL. The Aussie power-hitter has only struck six fifties so far in the exciting league; still, his ultimate striking ability can’t get ignored.
Maxwell’s biggest strength is to rip apart any bowling attack, and that’s the reason most of the franchises went for him in the 2020 IPL auction. Kings XI Punjab, for whom the 31-year-old has played before, repurchased him for a whopping price of INR 10.65 crore.
The all-rounder has smashed 1397 runs in 69 games with a mind-boggling strike-rate of 161.13. He has struck 109 fours and 91 sixes.
5.) Chris Morris
The South African cricketer Chris Morris is a valuable asset for any team he plays for. He can bowl four overs comfortably and collect quick runs in just a few balls. Morris has the ability to change the game at any moment, and that’s the reason quite a few teams went for him in the 2020 auction.
The all-rounder has played 61 matches in IPL and scored 517 runs. The tally of runs may look low, but his strike-rate in the lucrative league makes him sit at the fifth spot. With two half-centuries to his name, the right-hander has an SR of 157.62.
Morris has also smashed 37 fours and 27 sixes in the cash-rich league. The Proteas player has been roped in by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the upcoming season for INR 10 crore.
